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What is Management Information Systems?

MIS is about applying information technology to business problems. The emphasis is on finding solutions. To the MIS professional, information technology is a tool, not an end in itself.

What is the difference between MIS and Computer Science?

Computer science focuses more on technology and less on its use in business. MIS looks less at technology, and more at how it is used.

MIS and computer science courses differ, of course, but so do the support courses. Computer science students take courses that will help them better understand technology, like math classes. MIS students take courses that will help them understand business problems, like accounting and marketing.

Neither one is better than the other - they're just different. If you are really into computers themselves (for example, if your garage is full of circuit boards and ribbon cables), maybe computer science would be for you. If you're more interested in working with people to solve problems, consider MIS. Choose the one that fits you best.

Georgia College & State University has a fine computer science program, by the way.

Careers in Computing

Systems Analysts / Developer / Architect

1. Solves computer problems and enables computer technology to meet individual needs of an organization by tracking a company’s information flow and then designing a information system that allows managers to have fast and easy access to the information.
2. Helps an organization realize the maximum benefit from its investment in equipment, personnel, and business processes.
3. Plans and develops new information systems or devises ways to apply existing systems’ resources to additional operations by defining the goals of the system and dividing the solutions into individual steps and separate procedures.

Database Administrator

1. Develop, implement, update, test, and repair a company’s database(s). Set up computer databases and test and coordinate changes to them.
2. Responsible for monitoring performance, archiving and backing-up information, and assuring the security of the confidential information stored in the system.
3. Plan and coordinate security measures; may be responsible for the design and implementation of system security.
4. Work with database management systems software and determine ways to organize and store data.

Project leader - organizing a team of analysts, programmers and others
Trainer - making sure people know how to use systems effectively

Web Producer / Development / Designers / Webmasters

1. Create and maintain a website that communicates a company’s mission and promotes its product.
2. Translate management’s vision into a graphically designed, HTML-coded website; Job is closely tied to the identity of a company – uniquely liaise the various business functions to produce a site that represents the company as a whole.
3. Responsible for all technical aspects of a website, including performance issues such as speed of access, and cooperating with graphic designers to improve the sites image.

Network / Computer Systems Administrators / Data Communication Analyst

1. Design, install, test, and evaluate systems such as Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Internet, Intranet, and other data communications systems.
2. Maintain network hardware and software, analyze problems, and monitor the network to ensure availability to system users as well as provide support in the day-to-day maintenance of the system.
3. Spend a significant amount of time responding to emergencies such as hacker attacks or virus threats, troubleshooting new applications, and fielding a neverending barrage of computer-related questions from staff members.

 

MIS Job Outlook

According to the 2006-2007 Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of technology professionals is expected to increase much faster than average as technology becomes more sophisticated and organizations continue to adopt and integrate these technologies. This occupation is expected to rank among the top 20 in the number of new jobs created over the 1998 - 2008 period.

Because employers continue to seek professionals who can combine strong technical skills with good interpersonal and business skills graduates with a bachelor's degree in MIS should enjoy favorable prospects for employment.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. For more information visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm.

 

A Successful Graduate of the MIS program will be able to:

Select and apply appropriate systems analysis and design techniques to create a system design for a business process including systems development planning, requirements determination and analysis, and data/process modeling.

Use modern application development products as prototyping tools in the systems development process.

Create business applications in an event-driven programming language (such as Visual Basic) including the development of user interfaces, use of controls, writing/debugging code, and the creation of interactive menus.

Apply data modeling techniques (such as normalization and ER diagramming) to create a database model.

Implement a database model in a relational database management system (such as SQL or Access) including the creation of tables, establishing referential integrity constraints, loading data, creating views, and producing forms and reports using database data.